U.S. Chamber with another ad linking Sestak and Pelosi

The pro-business group puts out second ad against Sestak

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Saturday went on the air in Pennsylvania with a second round of television attacks against Democrat Senate candidate Joe Sestak.

The new television commercial, like the Chamber's first ad, links Sestak to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in an effort to make Sestak look like a lackey of liberal policy.

The first ad, which aired in select markets in mid-July, caused some controversy over the assertion that Sestak "gives it 100 percent" to Pelosi. Sestak called for the ad to be taken down because he did not vote with Pelosi all the time, but more like 97 percent of the time. The Sestak camp also argued that Pelosi has only voted about 77 times compared to more than 1,000 votes cast by Sestak, so it's difficult to make a direct comparison.

Still, the Chamber contends that on major issues, Sestak has voted with Pelosi. A Pittsburgh station took the ad down for less than a day, but then put it back it up.

The new ad begins with a photo of Sestak and Pelosi at an event together. A voice says, "Why does Joe Sestak deny voting lockstep with Nancy Pelosi? Let's look at the facts."

It goes on, as did the first ad, to rail against Sestak for voting for healthcare reform and cap-and-trade legislation. Then it states that Sestak's and Pelosi's policies are "anti-business."

Each image of Sestak and Pelosi is set against a background of storm clouds and sounds of thunder.

"Tell him to put the people of Pennsylvania before the policies of Pelosi," the ad concludes.

"It's clear that Congressman Toomey would rather rely on his Washington special interest group friends to distort Joe's record with more negative attacks than have a debate on the issues," Jonathon Dworkin, Sestak's spokesman said. "Maybe that is because Pennsylvania's working families are not responding to his Wall Street-knows-best approach of more money for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class."

Blair Latoff, a Chamber spokeswoman, said the newest ad is "a significant buy" and is airing "in multiple markets across the state as part of our comprehensive campaign."

The ad does not mention Toomey or his campaign.

The Chamber launched a massive campaign effort for the 2010 midterm elections aiming to get pro-business candidates elected in November. According to the group's website, it's the largest election effort in the Chamber's nearly 100-year history.